Rodent issue on the rise: 2 Fredericton restaurants shut down after health inspections

A popular pub in downtown Fredericton was ordered to temporarily close after a concerning health inspection that noted rodent droppings on the premises.

But experts say rodents aren’t an isolated problem, especially at this time of year. Ongoing construction in the downtown area is adding to the issue.

“When there’s construction, the rodents get disrupted, they find a new place to hide and to take shelter,” said Germain Landry, a food safety consultant.

“At this time of the year, October, November, just like us, they want to get inside and that’s what their main focus is. So any opening around doors or anything like that, little cracks, crevices on buildings they will try to get in.”

The Lunar Rogue Pub on King Street was given a red rating from the provincial food inspector last week after a report that highlighted several concerns, including improper thawing methods as well as rodent droppings found in the preparation area, on food carts and on the bar.

In an emailed statement, the pub’s general manager, Nathan Colford, said they are “devastated by the results of the report.”

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“We have been in business for almost four decades and we have a duty to keep the public safe and be in business for our 40-plus employees,” he wrote. “We failed to meet our standards, and that is being corrected.”

Colford said the public was rightly concerned, and the business intends to rebuild trust.

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“In the hours following the report, we immediately brought in our contractor and several experts and cleaners to re-evaluate the needs of our facility and, not only address the report, but assess the future state of The Rogue and the upgrades required for a near 70-year-old downtown building,” he said in his email

Colford added they have done a deep clean and made repairs, and have submitted documents to the Department of Justice and Public Safety to see when the business will be deemed ready for re-opening.

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“Our sincere hope is that it’s as soon as possible,” he wrote. “From there, we are in service of building back trust and confidence with our patrons.”

Just around the corner from the pub, the Tandoori Adda restaurant also had its licence revoked temporarily last week, in part because an inspector found rodent droppings in the kitchen and on equipment.

In a statement, the restaurant said they have a clean kitchen, but declined to answer further questions.

Landry said in his experience as a food safety consultant, rodent issues in the food industry is definitely not rare. In fact, he’s noticed a rise in the problem in recent years.

“Typically, I probably review hundreds of reports from pest control companies at various places throughout the Maritimes,” he said. “Over the last few couple of years, probably there’s been an increase in the rodent situation, especially around the food processing companies and most likely in restaurants as well.”

Landry also advised businesses to be diligent about checking for openings where pests can enter their building and in addressing all concerns raised in food inspection reports.